Assembly method for a fob-key-ring assembly

ABSTRACT

An assembly method for a fob-key-ring assembly in which the fob is provided with an attaching bar extending linearly along one edge of the fob at a spaced distance therefrom, and the key-ring is formed with a base and a key engaging bail portion. A securing sleeve extends from the ring base to encircle and journal the fob attaching bar to provide the fob-key-ring assembly with the fob subject to pivoting with respect to the key ring about the attaching bar axis. Assembly is accomplished by forming the securing sleeve as a longitudinally split cylinder in which the attaching bar is positioned when the sleeve is separated along the split line, and which is closed by passing the assembly on a belt between two rollers.

United States Patent Wolpin Apr. 29, 1975 1 ASSEMBLY METHOD FOR A 1.539.220 5/1925 Taylor 24/3 K FOB KEY RING ASSEMBLY 3,102,332 9/1963 Porcelli 29/235 3,203,322 8/1965 Eichorn et a1. 29/453 [75] Inventor: Kermit Wolpin, Atlantic Beach,

[73] Assignee: Hit Sales Corporation, New York,

[22] Filed: Sept. 14, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 397,379

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 236,944, March 22. 1972, Pat.

[52] U.S. C1. 29/439; 29/509; 29/3 [51] Int. Cl. l. B23p 11/00 [58] Field of Search 29/439, 440, 3; 24/3 M, 24/3 K; 70/456 R, 459

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 410,770 9/1889 Samson 29/3 1,478,897 12/1923 Frcch 1 70/456 R 1,497,346 6/1924 Peterson 24/3 K Primary E.\'aminerRichard J. Herbst Assistant Examiner-Dan C. Crane Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert W. Fiddler [57] ABSTRACT An assembly method for a fob-key-ring assembly in which the fob is provided with an attaching bar extending linearly along one edge of the fob at a spaced distance therefrom, and the key-ring is formed with a base and a key engaging bail portion. A securing sleeve extends from the ring base to encircle and journal the fob attaching bar to provide the fob-key-ring assembly with the fob subject to pivoting with respect to the key ring about the attaching bar axis. Assembly is accomplished by forming the securing sleeve as a longitudinally split cylinder in which the attaching bar is positioned when the sleeve is separated along the split line, and which is closed by passing the assembly on a belt between two rollers.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ASSEMBLY METHOD FOR A FOB-KEY-RING ASSEMBLY This is a division oi application Ser. No. 236,944, filed on Mar. 22, 1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,782,150.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to the art of key-rings and more particularly to a method of assembling a key-ring and fob assembly in which the fob is pivotally secured to the keyring by means of a sleeve member which is adapted for positioning by means of a simple pressure roll facilitating assembly.

Fobs have long been associated with key-rings to facilitate marking of the key-ring, to provide decorative attachments for the key-ring, or to provide a handle member to implement manipulation of the key-ring.

To this end, a variety of key-ring and fob shapes have been evolved. The simplest fob attachment involved the formation of the fob with an aperture so that the fob may be threaded onto the key-ring. This of course reduces the available key carrying capacity of the keyring, and where the fob is small, results in the fob being confused with the keys.

Where the fob is secured to a non-key-carryingportion of the key-ring, the key-ring often becomes undesirably bulky, and the structure becomes relatively expensive to produce and assemble. Thus, if the fob is welded or otherwise rigidly joined to the rim of the ring, the ring size is increased and manufacture and use become unwieldly.

Where the fob is hingedly secured to this ring to produce a relatively collapsible structure, the hinging structures such as links or chains, increase production cost of both material and assembly time. Relatively expensive assembly equipment or relatively skilled assembly workers must be employed, thus raising production costs to a point often making the normally inexpensive key-ring uneconomical of production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION It is with the above considerations in mind that the present method of assembling the fob-key-ring assembly has been evolved providing a relatively inexpensive structure, subject to simple assembly by unskilled workers and providing a fob attached to a key-ring in a secure fashion facilitating handling of the ring by means of the fob and manipulation of the keys on the ring, with the fob subject to being folded over on the ring to minimize the volume occupied by the assembly when in use.

It is accordingly among the primary objects of this invention to provide a simple and effective method of assembling fob-key-ring assembly subject to rapid and inexpensive assembly by relatively unskilled workers.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter apparent are achieved by forming a fob with an attaching bar extending linearly along one edge of the fob at a spaced distance from the fob edge. A key-ring is formed with a linearly extending base portion and a key engaging bail portion. An elongated sleeve extends from the base portion of the key ring to encircle the attaching portion of the fob. The sleeve is split along a longitudinal side thereof. Assembly is accomplished by forming the sleeve open along the split. Thereafter when the attaching bar has been positioned within the sleeve bypassing the sleeve on a belt trained to pass between two rollers to close the sleeve to maintain the fob and key-ring in assembled relationships.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that a fob-key-ring assembly has been provided such that by the use of a simple pressure roll mounted over a conveyor belt, assembly of the fob and key-ring may readily be accomplished.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fob-key-ring assembly made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing the key ring in open position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of a detail showing the key ring base, sleeve, and fob attaching bar, before assembly;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an apparatus used for attaching the fob to the key ring;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5, illustrating the pressure roll closing the sleeves to join the fob to the key-ring; and

FIG. 7 is a partial transverse sectional view through the open securing sleeve before assembly illustrating the preferred relative sizes of the sleeve components.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, where like numerals in the various figures are employed to designate like parts, a fob-key ring assembly 10 embodying the teaching of the invention is illustratively shown in FIG. 1. The assembly 10 comprises a key-ring portion generally designated 11 to which is attached a fob generally designed 12.

The key-ring portion 11 comprises a base 14 with a key engaging bail 16 secured thereto by a pivot pin 18 so that the bail 16 may be moved from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 3. In the illustrated embodiment the base portion is shown as formed of a hollow elongate configuration.

A sleeve 20 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 is provided of a longitudinally split cylindrical configuration. In the illustrated embodiment sleeve 20 is formed integral with key-ring base 14, the sleeve and base being bent from a single piece oof sheet material into the shape as best seen in FIG. 4.

Fob 12 is illustratively shown as of a keystone shape, rounded at its broader end. Along one edge of the fob extending linearly at a spaced distance from said fob edge is an attaching rod 24 which is preferably circular in cross-section. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 the attaching bar is maintained at' a spaced distance from the fob edge between cars 25.

Turning now to more details of construction, the fob base 14 is illustratively shown as in the form of a hollow closed channel having sides 26, 28, top 30 and bottom 32. The base 14 may be made from a single piece of sheet metal which is formed into a closed loop (as viewed in cross-section) with the abutting edges 34 disposed at the bottom of the base 14.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sleeve 20 is formed integrally with key-ring base 14 by shaping the sleeve from an extension of the sheet material used in forming the base 14. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, the sleeve is initially formed into an open loop section 36 which is ultimately formed into the aforementioned closed loop by bringing the loop edge 38 against loop edge 39 to form the longitudinally split closed cylinder as seen in FIG. 1. The sleeve 20 may be formed from the same piece of sheet material which makes up the hollow channel defining the base 14 by extending a longitudinally intermediate portion of sheet material from the aforementioned edge 32 of the base 14, which as shown in FIG. 4 is bent at right angles to the base bottom 32.

The top 30 of the base 14 has a portion cut away at one longitudinal end to provide an opening 40 in the top SC to receive the pivot end of the leg 42 of the keyring bail 16. The end portion of pivot leg 42 is pivotally supported in the aforesaid opening 40 by the pivot pin 18 which extends through the sides 26, 28 of the base 14. The top 30 of the base has another portion cut away defining a latch opening 44 which receives the free end of latch leg 46 of U-shaped bail 16. Thus, it will be seen that the ring 16 may be pivoted about pin 18 between a closed position (FIG. 1) and an open position (FIG. 3). In order to lock the bail 16 in a key retaining position, a detent notch 50 will engage the outer edge 52 of the opening 44 with a spring bias which is provided by selecting the distance between the ends of the two legs 42, 46 of the bail 16 so that it is necessary to flex the bail 16 by urging the two legs 42, 46 towards one another when opening and closing the ring. The springing of the bail legs 46. and 42 to bring them together is attained by forming an entry tip 51 beneath detent notch 50 with the entry tip tapered downwardly toward the leg 42 so that the lower end of leg 46 is forced toward leg 42, as entry tip 51 rides over edge 52 of latch opening 50 as best seen in FIG. 3. Thus when the free end of the leg 46 of bail 16 beyond the notch 50 passes below the outer edge 52 of opening 44, the leg 46 of ring will spring out and the detent notch 50 will lockingly engage the outer edge 52 of the latch opening 44. The notch 50 in the ring 10 may be generally V- shaped with the juncture of the V located closest to the terminating end of the leg 46 of the ring 16 as best shown in F IG. 2. This arrangement presents a barb-like projection beneath the edge 52 to prevent inadvertant disengagement between the latch edge 52 and the detent notch 50.

In order to close the ring 16, it is only necessary to pivot the latter about pin 18 into closed postion (FIG. 1) whereby the entry tip 51 of leg 46 will initially be received in the opening 44, and upon continued pivotal movement, will be urged toward the other leg 42 by engagement with the outer edge 52 of opening 44 until the leg 46, snaps into closed position as the notch 50 receives the outer edge 52 of opening 44.

To open the ring 10 it is only necessary to grasp the two legs 42, 46 of the ring and squeeze them together to release the notch 50 from the outer edge 52 of opening 44 and then pivot the ring 10 about pin 18 to its open position as seen in FIG. 3.

Assembly of the fob 12 to the key-ring 11 is accomplished by positioning the attaching bar 24 of fob 12 in the open sleeve secured to the key-ring base 14. Thereafter by bringing the sleeve edges 38 and 39 against each other to close the sleeve 20, assembly is effected.

In accordance with the invention, desired assembly for commercial production is most readily attained by the utilization of a relatively simple conveyor fed pressure roll mechanism permitting a relatively unskilled operator to effect production. Thus after the fobs are positioned with their attaching bars 24 in the open sleeves 20 the fob and key-ring are passed beneath a pressure roll to effect sleeve closure.

This may be most expeditiously accomplished by means of a press 54 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The press 54 comprises a pair of rolls 56, 58 mounted for rotation in bearings carried on support stands 60, 62. The lower roller 56 is driven by a motor 64.

An endless conveyor belt 66 is trained over the driven roll 58 and idler 68 such that the upper run of the conveyor belt 66 passes between the two rolls 56 and 58. The conveyor idler roll 68 is mounted for rotation in suitable bearing means 70, 72 carried on a frame 74 on which the support stands 60, 62 are also mounted. The motor 64 which drives the roller 58 also drives the conveyor 66 inasmuch as the conveyor belt 66 passes around the roller 58.

In order to assemble the fobs 12 on to the rings 10, an operator need only place the rod 24 of fob 12 into the open sleeve 20 (FIG. 4) and place the partial assembly onto the conveyor 66. The conveyor 66 will carry the assembly to a position between the rolls 56, 58 whereby the latter will engage and compress the open sleeve 20 to close the latter as best seen in FIG. 6.

It should be noted that the width of the sleeve as viewed in lateral cross-section while in open condition (see FIG. 4) and in closed condition (FIG. 2) is greater than the thickness of the base 14 and the ring 10 so that the rollers 56 and 58 function to close the loop without interference from the base 14 or ring 10.

It has been found that maximum efficiency of production insuring alignment of the sleeve edges 38 and 39 is attained by forming the sleeve as shown in FIG. 7, so that in open position the opposed circular sections each having a radius r are joined by a straight section I in which the radius r of each of the two circular sections equals the length of the straight line section 1.

In using the press, an operator needs only to grasp a key ring in one hand, a fob in the other, place the rod 24 of the fob into open loop 20, and the place the partial assembly randomly anywhere on the conveyor 66. The latter will, of course, carry all sub-assemblies placed thereon to the rollers 56 and 58. Thus it will be seen that it is relatively simple to assemble the key ring and fob, particularly where the operator can place the sub-assembly anywhere on the upper run of the conveyor 66. The assembled key rings with fob may pass from between the rollers 56 and 58 and drop into a container (not shown).

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation and not by way of limitation, and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the hereindisclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of assembling a fob to a key-ring comprising the steps of: forming a linearly extending attaching bar on an edge of the fob extending along the fob edge at a spaced distance therefrom; forming an elongate sleeve of a length equal to or shorter than the length of said attaching bar on said fob, said sleeve formed with a slit extending longitudinally thereof, with said sleeve initially formed open along said slit; securing said sleeve to said key-ring; positioning said attaching bar in said open sleeve; positioning said fob, keyring and sleeve on a belt trained to pass between two 3. A method as in claim 1 in which said sleeve is contoured with two curved portions joined by a linear portion as viewed in cross-section, the linear portion having a length equal to the radius of curvature of said curved portions.

4. A method as in claim 1 in which the rolls are spaced apart to close said sleeve into a cross-section when closed which is greater than the thickness of either the fob or key-ring. 

1. A METHOD OF ASSEMBLING A FOB TO A KEY-RING COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: FORMING A LINEARLY EXTENDING ATTACHING BAR ON AN EDGE OF THE FOB EXTENDING ALONG THE FOB EDGE AT A SPACED DISTANCE THEREFROM, FORMING AN ELONGATE SLEEVE OF A LENGTH EQUAL TO OR SHORTER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID ATTACHING BAR ON SAID FOB, SAID SLEEVE FORMED WITH A SLIT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, WITH SAID SLEEVE INITIALLY FORMED OPEN ALONG SAID SLIT; SECURING SAID SLEEVE TO SAID KEY-RING; POSITIONING SAID ATTACHING BAR IN SAID OPEN SLEEVE; POSITIONING SAID FOB; KEY-RING AND SLEEVE ON A BELT TRAINED TO PASS BETWEEN TWO ROLLERS SPACED APART A DISTANCE EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN THE DESIRED CROSS-SECTION OF SAID SLEEVE WHEN CLOSED; AND PASSING SAID FOB KEY-RING AND SLEEVE ON SAID BELT BETWEEN SAID TWO ROLLERS TO CLOSE SAID SLEEVE ABOUT SAID ROD TO JOIN THE FOB TO THE KEY-RING.
 2. A method as in claim 1 in which said key-ring is formed with a channel shaped base of sheet material which sheet material is extended from the key-ring base to provide the sheet material from which the open sleeve is formed.
 3. A method as in claim 1 in which said sleeve is contoured with two curved portions joined by a linear portion as viewed in cross-section, the linear portion having a length equal to the radius of curvature of said curved portions.
 4. A method as in claim 1 in which the rolls are spaced apart to close said sleeve into a cross-section when closed which is greater than the thickness of either the fob or key-ring. 